S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS for today's arts and culture show. We're talking with sci fi author Nettie Okorafor. Then we'll tell you about the Swifty Book Club and your weekend preview. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. Author Nettie Okorafor talks about merging sci fi with spirituality in her new book , She Who Knows , coming out Tuesday.
S2: When I write science fiction , I'm writing from a very African point of view , and I've always one. I've always I've always done that.
S1: Plus , we'll talk about a new Taylor Swift book Club at the San Diego Central Library , then all of your arts events in the weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition. Science fiction , fantasy and West African spirituality all come together. And She Who knows. Nettie Okorocha's upcoming novella. The book follows 13 year old Najibullah , the first girl in her village , to experience the call to the salt roads. She Who Knows is the first in a trilogy. It's also a prequel to Okorafor award winning 2010 novel Who Fears Death ? Okorafor is a very prolific author , with two Hugos , two lode stars and Nebula World Fantasy and Eisner Award under her belt. She was recently inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. She has many things in the works , and she joins me now to talk about some of them. Neddy , welcome back to the show.
S2: Thank you. Happy to be here.
S1: So glad to have you here. I mean , the last time we spoke , you were in San Diego to talk about your book , Who Fears Death ? What have you been up to since then ? It sounds like a lot.
S2: Yeah , I've been up to a lot. I like writing , I like storytelling , so I do it a lot. And , um , so yeah , I've had I've had several books and novellas and things come out since then and I've got a lot coming up.
S1: All right. Well , now much of your writing is categorized as science fiction and centers around your Nigerian roots and spirituality. Can you talk a bit about that and how all of these concepts , sci fi and spirituality really come together in your stories ? Yeah.
S2: Um , so I'm I'm Nigerian American , both of my parents are Igbo. And so like from a young age , I've been they've been taking my siblings and me back to Nigeria to reconnect with family. All of that. And those were really pivotal. Those trips were very , very pivotal to me. So where I had the American upbringing , I also had this whole this understanding and love and and push pull and experience with , you know , Nigerian culture. So that's always been significant to me. So once I started writing , it just came forth. It came forth in a very strong way. It was intuitive. It wasn't something I , I tried to do on purpose. It was just that's those were the stories that I started telling. They were set in Nigeria. A lot of them first started as sort of memoir pieces , but they they were things that happened in Nigeria during those , those trips. So that's how it started. And and so like I like connected very closely to especially Nigerian , particularly Igbo cosmologies and culture and spiritual beliefs. Early on , very early on , the science fiction , also the science fiction aspect was a few years after I started writing , um , and that also has a deep connection to Nigeria. I mean , I started writing , I started writing science fiction because of Nigeria. It wasn't because I was inspired by classic science fiction and I wanted to do something different. Not that at all. It was Nigeria.
S1:
S2: Yeah. I mean , it's like , um , science fiction is a in a lot of ways a reflection of humanity in that spirituality , no matter what culture you're coming from , it's going to show up. It's going to manifest in various ways. And so when I write , when I write science fiction , I'm writing from a very African point of view. And I've always one I've always I've always done that. That was a natural thing. And and if we're talking about worldviews , we're talking about , you know , of course , Africa is a continent. It's not a country. So and I'm generalizing here , but if we're talking about an African point of view , typically that includes the spiritual , the spiritual , the mystical is with the mundane. They are they coexist , they co-mingle. So when I write science fiction , that's what happens. You're going to get you're going to you're going to get iterations of the future. Yes. But you're going to also see mystical things happening in the future. It's just a natural thing. It's not it's not something that I feel like I have to bring to. Science fiction is literally the type of science fiction that I write. Wow.
S1: Wow. And much of that , all of it comes through in your book. So I want to talk about She Who Knows. Readers might recognize Najibullah as the mother from your last book , Who Fears Death , and now we're diving into her coming of age story.
S2: I wanted to write Najibullah's story for many years. Like even even after just after writing. Who fears that ? Because who fears death ? It started as it was. Two novels. It was big , it was massive , and I kind of brought it all together while keeping the narrative the same. And it took me two years to do this. I brought it all together into one book. So in those two books , especially in the beginning , you get a lot of Najib's story. So I already knew. I already knew her background. I already knew like who she was. And I wanted to tell that story like it was because I'm attracted to good stories. I'm attracted to stories that are just that are alive. And over the years I knew I was going to write it. I knew I was going to write her story. I was always talking about it. And over the years , I found myself even talking about her as if I'd already written the story. So I knew I was going to write it. And then one day I just did. You know , it's like , um , a lot of times for me , it's not it's not a matter of whether I'll do it or not. It's just a matter of when I. I always know it's going to come. I don't worry about it. It eventually just it comes. And so yeah , I sat down and just just wrote it and I'm so happy that I did. Yeah. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I mean , and there aren't many narratives out there about , you know , powerful middle aged African women. Talk to me about the importance of Najib's story in that. Yeah.
S2: Yeah. There were there are many things. Um , first , Najib goes through and who fears death and the very origins of our main character , who and who fears death , who's only a symbol. And her name means who fears death. The origins of her is trauma. You know , and Najib goes through it. And one of the things that was really important about Najib was character. And who fears death is that she she goes through this vicious trauma and she gives birth to this amazing child , and then all of these things happen because of it. But that trauma does not it. One it doesn't make her small , and two , she has a whole story , a whole life. You know , despite all of the things that happened to her. So that was important. And then when it comes to middle aged women doing amazing things and having adventures , you know , I just realized I don't really see much of that. I don't see much of that. And , you know , she she who knows. Fire spitter , the first novella is about one in her teenage years , but the second , the second is when she's in her 40s. And , um , I think that it's just it just makes sense , and I. And it's for me as a , as a writer , like , I haven't written too many characters from that point of view , and it bothers me. I thought about that. I thought hard about that. I'm like , why haven't I ? Why haven't I , uh , written those characters ? But I'm really happy to to because I think , I think , uh , seeing women in these roles and seeing their complexity and their power and their flaws and their journeys , I think it's it's really important.
S1: And like we said , you know , she's the first girl in her village to have the call. Something that only boys and men have experienced so far. She's stubborn , though , and doesn't let that stop her from going on this trip to mine. Salt. Talk about the fallout from defying those norms and what she contended with.
S2: Yeah , it's so she does. She she breaks a major cultural norm. But see , the difference is with this one , one she doesn't get like in a story typically about something like that , that she's going to have to fight her family. She's going to have to fight everybody around her. Her father is like , okay , that's unusual , but all right , I guess you're going. Her brothers , you know , her brothers have to work through it as well. And I thought that that aspect is really , really important. But yeah , she she pushes through all of these things and , um , she pushes through her journey and , and and she's really , He's a he's a unique type of character in that , in this patriarchal society. But she doesn't let it hold her down. And when she gets the call , she needs it , despite all of the structure around her of patriarchy. And she does it with this grace that even surprised me as a writer , you know ? Um , he does it with this grace where it's like she's unapologetic and who she is. She's really strong. She's really strong. And I'm not talking about the type of character who can who's who can lift cars and and beat people up. She's she's just really emotionally strong. And , uh , she experiences fear. She experiences doubt , all of those things. But she pushes through. And I love that. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , she who knows is also the start of a trilogy. And of course , world building is an important part of any sci fi fantasy story. How are you building on the world here ? Yeah.
S2: Um , so when I. When I build world , which I don't even know if I , I could call it building. I it's almost like something grows. And so when I'm writing these things I don't want , I don't outline. When I write , I don't. Um , sometimes , most most of the time , I don't even know what I'm going to write when I sit down to write it. Um , but when it comes to the worlds that the stories are set in , once they're in my head , it's just a matter of imagining I'm there and then just looking around. So that's how I that's how I understand it. And so with this world , because I've written about it. So Who Fears Death Is was the first book that I wrote that was In This World. And then , um , we've got the prequel , sort of. It's like 500 years before everything in Who Fears Death Happens , and it's called The Book of Phoenix. And so that was understanding the world that much more. So each time I write these things , that world becomes richer and richer and richer. I know the technologies , I know the creatures. I know the locations. There's certain locations I return to. There's certain locations that I now know the deep history of how it got there , how what happened , where the great book is from all of that. So like I , I've learned and in writing these books , I've come to understand those things. And , and there's something about when you , when you write a novel and you edit that thing like 50 , 60 times , it gets very solid in your mind. It's solid. So each time I return to this world , it just becomes more and I know it very , very well. And then with , um , with she who knows , it's like I was learning and fleshing out all these things. It's like I was walking through and I'm like , oh , that's where that comes from. Oh , that's what that means. So it just becomes more and more with each book. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , you know , a few years ago you coined the term African futurism. And there's a distinction between that and Afrofuturism. Can you talk a bit about that ? Yeah.
S2: There are two terms that I coined. There's African Judaism and African futurism. So African Judaism I kind of already talked about African Judaism is a subcategory of fantasy that respectfully acknowledges , uh , the seamless blend of through existing African spiritualities and cosmologies with the imaginative. So it's like they're playing and that's very much where she who knows lies. Um , African futurism , it's similar to , to Afrofuturism in the way that the stories connect , you know , the stories and the spirit and history and the future connect blood as well. But the difference with African Futurism is that it's specifically in more directly rooted in African culture , history , mythology , and point of view as it then branches out into the black diaspora. So the diaspora is very connected. It is part of African futurism , but it's more about where it started and how it branched out. So like there's a there's a core and the core is very African. It's very yeah , it's very African. So that's what African futurism is.
S1: All right. Gets back to the roots. Who Fears Death is currently being adapted into a series by HBO , which I have been excited about for a while.
S2: Unfortunately , there isn't much on that that I can say. Okay.
S1: Okay. All right. Well , my , you know , I'm my fingers are crossed that we see that soon. Um , well , what's next for , um , you know , for the genre you've really coined here , African futurist and African juju stories in general ? Yeah.
S2: I mean , I think that I mean , I've got a lot of things coming up , so I've got , I've got , you know , the She who knows she Who knows trilogy. And then we , we've got death of the author. And then I also have , um , I have a graphic novel coming out in the summer , summer of 2025 , and it's called The Space Cat. And yes , it is about a space cat. It's about my cat. And it's it's so cute. What's your.
S1:
S2: Okay. It's like , I can't even. But yeah , it's about a it's about a space cat. It's a lot of fun.
S1: Okay , well , I can't wait to to read about that. And I'm. I've still got my fingers crossed , uh , that some that some of these stories , all of them really get adapted into an on screen show or series. So we'll see. Yes.
S2: Working on that , working on that. I've got , I've got several that are , that are in development and in various stages. So yes , keep your fingers crossed.
S1: We'll do all right. I've been speaking with Netty Okorafor , author of She Who Knows. Nettie , it's always a pleasure to speak with you. Thanks for joining us.
S2: My pleasure.
S1: Up next , if you're a Taylor Swift fan , the San Diego Central Library has a book club just for you.
S3: And so each month we are going to pick a book that she has referenced in one or more of her songs. And we're going to read that book through the lens of Taylor Swift.
S1: Hear about this Swiftie Book Club when KPBS Midday Edition returns. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. If you've ever wanted to know about the literary inspirations behind Taylor Swift songs , well , now is your chance to explore that. The San Diego Central Library kicked off its Swiftie Book Club on Monday , and KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando spoke with library assistant Craig Wimberley , the driving force behind the Swifty Book Club and deputy Director of Customer Experience Jennifer Jenkins to talk about the library's efforts to engage with the community. Here's that conversation.
S4: I am here at the downtown San Diego Library. And before we start talking about your Swifty Club , I do have to make a full confession. I am not a Swifty. I would probably fail a test to identify her songs. I am sort of stepping out of my comfort zone to do this. But one thing I really love fandom , wherever it occurs and people who are passionate about things.
S3: Um , my two biggest passions in life are the library and probably Taylor Swift. Um , my boss , Mark cherry , got a whiff of that. Um , uh , like fairly recently. And he was like , why aren't you doing any programs that have anything to do with Taylor Swift ? You love her so much. And after some mulling it over , I realized that I could start a book club because I've been meaning to read more. And I was like , what better way to do that than to read the books that she's referenced in her work ? Because she makes a lot of literary references in her work. And so I want to learn more about the context in which she's writing.
S4:
S3:
S5: I came out as a swiftie. I'm a late in life swiftie and um , I work on the our podcast , the San Diego Public Library Listeners Advisory Podcast , and we have this segment called Q Tom , that was new for this season where we talk about what we're reading , watching , and listening to myself in the co-host and I wracked my brain. I tried to come up with something like , you know , I wanted to sound really academic , really intelligent , really like , you know , like a connoisseur of literature and music. And then I was like , I'm only listening to Taylor Swift right now. I'm only watching the errors movie. I'm going to tell my truth. So I shared about that , and then it spread like wildfire , I think. And so I think I helped create an environment where all of us Swifties could be ourselves at work and find each other and have this thing in common. But also , it gave us the opportunity to start talking about all of the little connections and context and how those correlations in the music and in the fandom related to what we do day in and day out as librarians.
S4: So explain what the Swifty Book Club is going to be.
S3: The first one will be The Great Gatsby. Essentially , for those who are not familiar , Taylor Swift likes to weave in literary references into her work. She references a lot of things , but a lot of book references. And so each month we are going to pick a book that she has referenced in one or more of her songs. And we're going to read that book through the lens of Taylor Swift. So I'm going at The Great Gatsby and thinking about what about it inspired Taylor Swift. And then when we get to the book club , I'll be playing clips of the songs that she's referenced.
UU: It was so nice throwing big parties , jumping to the pool from the balcony. Everyone's swimming in the champagne sea , and there are no rules when you show up here. Bass beat rattling the chandelier feeling so Gatsby for that whole year.
S6: So why'd you have to rain on my parade ? I'm shaking my head and locking the gates.
UU: This is why we can't have nice things to wear. Because you break them. I had to take them away. This is why we can't have nice things.
S3: And then we'll essentially just talk about each of our experiences with the with the book and the context and the experience we've gained.
S4: You mentioned that The Great Gatsby is going to be the first book in the Swiftie Club.
S3: There are many to choose from. I have an entire spreadsheet of like references and and , um , books to choose from , but I think depending on the community's interest , I'm going to leave it up to them. We might do a poll every month , but some of the options are things like The Scarlet Letter , Romeo and Juliet , but some more modern interpretations Representations or selections might be a book called Furious Love , which is about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor , which is referenced in some of her songs. So there's there's going to be a little bit of everything.
S4: And what is the importance of kind of the library's role in the community in terms of , you know , there's so much stuff available on the internet now.
S5: Okay , so I found myself at a dinner with a bunch of , like , bigwig library directors from across the country about a year ago. And if you're not familiar , the Brooklyn Public Library had an exhibit of all of Jay-Z's ephemera , things from his entire career , everything from his archives. There was a huge deal , and I was so jealous. And the director of that library was at this dinner. And so everyone was very buttoned up and they were talking business. And then finally I couldn't take it anymore. And I was like , I'm sorry , please tell me about Jay Z. Like , tell me everything. Like about what did he wear ? What did he smell like ? Did you meet Beyonce ? Did you meet the children ? Like , please tell me about the exhibit. And we had this really fascinating conversation about the fact that libraries were not super great at telling our story and we're not super great at like , well , we shout from the rooftops about how great libraries are and everything that we have to offer. But sometimes there's a disconnect with the general public in terms of connecting with the resources at the library. But one thing that that we have a commonality with everyone is that we too are immersed in fandom , immersed in pop culture , and using that as a vehicle to connect with our community and kind of lower like to to remove barriers so that it's not as intimidating. Like after I did that podcast episode , I had people coming up to me to say , I'm so glad that you talked about , you know , the music that you listened to and the things that you're reading and watching because , you know , it made me feel better about myself because I don't always read , you know , Tolkien or whatever. And I was like , we don't either. We we have a variety of interests. We are the community. And so pop culture and fandom is one way that we can connect with our communities and draw them in so that they can learn about all of the great things that we do here and all the resources that we have.
S3: And , um , another facet is that the the world is so expensive these days. One of the main ways to get like Swifty Community is the arrows tour. And if if you've not been living under a rock , you know that the arrows tour can cost $10,000. And one of my favorite things about the library is that it's one of the last public places where you get to exist for free. I want to be part of creating a place for these communities. I want people to be able to go and connect with people for , for free about things they love.
S4:
S3: But even just reading the first few chapters of of The Great Gatsby , there's like one of the first ways he describes Gatsby is a is gorgeous , and that's another Taylor Swift song. And so it's just so interesting to read this book and be and like , imagine how she took it in. And then even just the not as obvious connections become more , more obvious as I go through. And so that's been interesting. It makes the music experience and the book experience more enriched.
UU: Hiding my obsession. I once was poison ivy. But now I'm your Lassie.
S4: And you have a display out here in the library. And you mentioned that there is a standee of Taylor Swift that is from the children's book section , and her biography is out all the time now.
S3: Uh , yes. So there's a children's biography series in which she's one of the subjects , and they can't seem to keep it on the shelves. It's just checked out constantly. It's on hold. It's reserved. And so they said , please take her upstairs. The children are disappointed that they can't get their hands on her on her book. So that was really cute.
S4: Um , this obviously taps into a particular fandom. One of the things I remember when my son was young was when mangas started to be popular and started to be a part of the library and like a very popular item.
S5: Manga and anime are definitely still a thing. I have a 15 year old and that is specifically what she comes to the teen center here at Central Library to look for and check out. One thing that I think that people don't necessarily think top of mind about when they are thinking about libraries is gaming. I think game culture has really taken off in the library world. Not only gaming systems , electronic games , but tabletop games , Dungeons and Dragons. We have a lot of D&D , uh , programs throughout the system , so slowly but surely , we're finding different ways to to find these niche , these niche things that are that are beloved by people in the community and then figure out a way to incorporate that into library programs and services in our collections. But it's a lot to stay on top of and talk.
S4: A little bit about what you see.
S3: Uh , so anytime we get to be a place for any of those things , uh , makes me a happy camper. And I think that creating programming like this gives the people the opportunity to connect with each other , gives them more knowledge than they maybe didn't have before. I know a lot of people these days. They have this idea of when they were a kid , that the library is still just like very quiet stacks with a with a shush , shush kind of librarian. And then they come in or they're told about all of these resources that we have , or they find out about programs or like Jennifer said , they hear that we like the same things they do , and they just get so excited. And that inspires them and helps them do what they need to do in their time. Uh , they get to be more creative or , or connected. And I think that's that's our role in the community.
S5: I would say pop culture and fandom also plays a big role in our makerspaces. We have pop culture days , Pokemon days , Star Wars , Star Trek , our idea lab that's here on the on the fourth floor. And then we have 13 ideal labs in the whole system and more to come. That's another way that you can kind of make some of those machines , like the laser cutter , 3D printers , things that may seem intimidating and and folks may be wary of of learning how to use those machines and those materials. When we have pop culture days , it gives people the opportunity to come in with a really fun and easy craft or activity or something that they are actually getting skills and learning how to use the equipment at the same time that they're celebrating their fandom , Pokemon , you name it. That was. KPBS.
S1: KPBS. Beth Accomando , speaking with library assistant Craig Wimberley and deputy director of Customer Experience Jennifer Jenkins , the Swifty Book Club will meet virtually and in person every third Monday at the San Diego Central Library. Still ahead. Ways to immerse yourself in art this weekend.
S7: These works are just also really lovely to look at as well as thought provoking , so this should be a really fascinating set of exhibits in one place.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition returns after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. For our weekend preview , we have art inspired by DNA and survival , piano music , a special book event , and lots of music. Joining me with all the details is KPBS arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , welcome.
S7: Hey , Jade. Thanks for having me.
S1: Always a pleasure. So first up , we have visual art inspired by DNA forensics. Tell me about this one. Right.
S7: Right. So this is at the Institute of Contemporary Art , San Diego at their north campus in Encinitas. And it's actually there's two exhibits , both opening this weekend , one by Melissa Walter and one by Manuel Alejandro Rodriguez Delgado. The first let's talk about Rodriguez Delgado. He is a Puerto Rican born artist. He's now based in New Mexico , and his work is inspired by Star Trek , the US space program. And also , I love this part , Puerto Rico's unsuccessful bid to host the Olympic Games. The bid happened in the late 80s and it was for the 2004 Olympic Games. Their slogan was we can do it. Um , and what he does is he makes these self-contained survival systems. He uses repurposed and found materials like Wood's even electronics. And Melissa Walter , she is a local artist and her works are often really science informed. She works on paper and paper sculptures. And this exhibit , which is based on DNA forensics , is something that she started a couple of years ago. And I talked to her this week and asked her a little bit about how she got started with that.
S8: So the body of work began with sort of learning about DNA analysis and the history of it and its history within forensic science. And so the pieces that I made at that time were really focused on sort of the progression of that technology and how that was evolving. But then over time , as I was making new work , I was still interested in that topic. But I was starting to think about it a little more from a psychological perspective of the people that might have been affected by the lack of DNA analysis in the , you know , progression of their lives or the presence of DNA analysis.
S7: So Melissa Walter , she takes this data , the numbers and processes , and she translates them into visual elements like one of her pieces is a series of watercolor dots , like little black dots on paper. And they're smudged. And that smudging kind of represents the messiness of early DNA processes in forensics. There were a lot of mistakes. There's not a lot of exactness. And in one of the pieces , which is the furthest along in the progression of the technology , she talked to a scientist who's developing this really advanced AI process for a DNA science that can actually draw a picture of what someone looks like based on the tiniest DNA , from a piece of gum on the floor or a strand of hair. And that work of art , it kind of interprets the decision tree for the technology when it figures out eye color. And this piece of art actually has a mirror in it , which is very implicating. I hate to think about all of the pieces of hair and skin cells that are just floating around in there. Yeah , and Melissa Walter is a designer by trade. She's worked for NASA and other science fields in graphic design. So she's not only really scientifically skilled , but she also has this great eye for visual harmonics and visual beauty. So yeah , these works are just also really lovely to look at as well as thought provoking. So this should be a really fascinating set of exhibits in one place.
S1: Yeah , it sounds like it. And I'm really impressed how science and art are merged together , um , in this exhibit. So that's that is fascinating. But alongside those exhibits , there is a ceramic sail music and a big family friendly art making event. And it's all happening in North County. Sounds like a big party.
S7: They have a found art and clay project , where kids can make their own little survival systems. Inspired by Rodriguez Delgado's exhibit , there's a ceramic sale set out the entire time food and Drink , and both artists will be there to give tours of their exhibitions. And those tours start at 5:00. And out in the garden there is live music from a really great local band. Please ask for Paul and we're listening to their latest single right now. It's called ghost.
UU: And entering all the mysteries you seek within to begin again. The past will chase you. If you do.
S1: All right , so that's Saturday at ICA San Diego in Encinitas. If you're looking for classical music , though , you can find it at La Jolla music Society Summerfest. It's still in full swing and you have a recommendation this weekend , right ? Right.
S7: So Summerfest is a month long festival of chamber music. So small ensembles and Friday night's event counterpoint to with Conrad Tao and his tap dancing collaborator Caleb Teicher. That is at the top of my radar. But it's sold out. So the next best thing is Conrad Tao playing piano. Um , this concert is called California Dreamin , and it's something that Tao has curated. It's a selection of Rachmaninoff's music that has roots in California , and this is something that just blows my mind. Like , I had no idea that Rachmaninoff lived in California for a little bit , off and on , and then he spent the last couple of years of his life in Beverly Hills until his death in 1943. And this we're listening to Conrad Tao playing from Rachmaninoff's 13 Preludes. And they're also doing some more pieces with strings and chamber ensembles , all by composers who also have ties to California or its sound. Um , and yeah. And Summerfest continues through August 24th. I love to check out.
S9: Yeah , yeah.
S1: I love the music. Well , Cleopatra is a new play , opening this weekend at moxie , a world premiere adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.
S7: This is a co-production with Moxie Theater and Loud Fridge Theater Group , and it's adapted by and starring Joy Yvonne Jones , who is a former San Diegan. And she's adapted this to use modern language projections , choreography and music. And it's even interactive. But what is exciting to me is how this is going to be carried by the skills and the creativity of someone like Joi Yvonne Jones. It digs into Cleopatra's story. Who's this tragic Egyptian queen and famous for being Julius Caesar's lover and the wife of Mark Antony. But this is her story , so it's very exciting. Opening night is tonight and it's on stage through August 26th. And with this production , Moxie's debuting a new accessible ticketing program. So it's called Equity Ticket , and a quarter of every night's tickets will be available with a choose your own price model. And they also always have a $20 rush ticket available in person at the box office an hour before the show. So if you are flexible and can go with the flow , you can just show up an hour before , well , that's fantastic.
S1: The option is there. Okay , so KPBS is actually hosting a special event this weekend. The announcement of the One Book , One San Diego selections for 2024. Tell us about booked for the weekend.
S7: I love that title. First of all.
S1: It is. Nice.
S7: Nice. So this event is Saturday from 11 to 2 , and they're going to make the announcement of what this year's picks are right at 11 in the the Neal Morgan Auditorium , which is the downstairs auditorium at the Central Library downtown. And you can pick up copies of each of those selections. And the first 300 guests actually get one of the selected books as a free gift. And yeah , if you don't know what one book , One San Diego is , it's a program where we select three books one for adults , one for teens , one for children , and a Spanish language versions as well. The idea is to get everybody in San Diego reading together , and also in this special launch event , they're going to have a bunch of booths from libraries and local presses and literary organizations that's out in the outdoor courtyard right there. And at 1230 , there's going to be a panel discussion about ways to use the Weinberg program , whether in the classroom or at home , to work on literacy and reading. Yeah , it.
S1: Really is a fantastic program and holds so much value. Speaking of books , tonight is the third Thursday , which means it's verbatim books is monthly sunset reading hang session ? Yes. Tell me about that.
S7: Um , this is called books in the Park , and it's from 530 to 730 at Bird Park in North Park , which has a really great view of the city of the Coronado Bridge. You can see Balboa Park. It's really great. And you can also just stick your nose in a book. So people will come. They'll bring blankets and chairs , and you can bring your own book or verbatim will often have set out little baskets of books for you to pick from , and you can mingle and stuff at first and meet other people. But then from 6 to 7 , it's the silent reading hour. Okay , so I love that there is an event where it forces you to just get quiet and focus on your book. So yeah , it's a great opportunity to get out in the community , meet like minded people. But also , yeah , just I.
S1: Tell you what , we could all use that kind of time silence for reading. It's great. All right. Well , something I'm excited about. This weekend marks the 65th anniversary of Kind of Blue , the masterpiece album by Miles Davis , and some local jazz greats are coming to the Rady Shell to to really commemorate this. Mhm.
S7: Mhm. So this is Gilbert Castellanos , who's our very own local jazz trumpet legend , and he's going to be playing with his all star band through the album. Um , so yeah , just lots of legendary level stuff going on. So this is at the Shell on Saturday night , uh , celebrating Miles Davis's Kind of Blue. And if you get there early , you can hear , uh , Young Lions jazz conservatory students do a pre-show set. This is a school run by Gilbert Castellanos , and if you've never heard them play , it's mind blowing. They are so talented , so it's worth it's worth getting there early.
S1: It's great. I could listen to this song play just all day long , but all right , I know we've got to get on to our next event. And so in keeping with live music for a little bit longer , hear what else is on your radar this weekend.
S7: All right. First Friday night at the observatory. Former locals , the rock band cults. They're coming back to town. And opening for them is Bunny. And this is a project of Jessica Vicious from Chicago. I love her sound. Her songwriting is full of grief and humor and romance. And this is Bunny's latest single. It's called Good Stuff.
S6: The first time you said you love me.
UU: Text me too. So that is Friday.
S7: Night at the observatory. And then on Saturday , the Marias and Automatic are playing at Coco's Credit Union open air amphitheater. The Marias are indie rockers. They sing in English and in Spanish , and they just put out a new album , which is really great. It's called submarine. This is a track called Leo's Ditty.
UU: Felice is simply milk where the lady. Would get the yellow.
S7: And one more on Saturday is Talib Kweli , who is an incredible rapper and playing with local Rist and Diggs , Sante Prince , Prints and also local Ric scales. This is a music box and Talib Kweli , he's from Brooklyn. He just released this track with Jay Rawls. It's called To the Ghetto to survive.
S10: And to be living , to survive and to be living and to survive and.
S7: To be living. To survive. So he has been making music for a while. Really great stuff. But be sure to get there in time to catch Rick Scales , because he's always fantastic to love it. And finally , on Sunday , there is a nice rootsy Americana show at Soda Bar. Riley Downing , who's a songwriter from Missouri , is coming with locals Alex Bergen and Justin John Rodriguez , who just put out this new single. It's called Fireflies and Dust with Alex Nova , who's singing to you.
UU: Face in the hope of a child running fast through these hills. Never broke my stride. Couldn't be that way again.
S11: Still makes me smile.
S1: Well , there is so much to check out in San Diego. Something for everyone. You can find details on these and more arts events , or sign up for Julia's weekly KPBS Arts newsletter at PBS.org. Arts. I've been speaking with KPBS Arts producer Julia Dixon Evans. Great stuff. Julia. Thank you.
S7: Thanks for having me , Jade.
UU: Just another crowd. We lost our voices. It was worth all the fuss , but.
S1: That's our show for today. If you missed anything , you can download KPBS Midday Edition on all podcast apps. Don't forget to watch Evening Edition tonight at five for in-depth reporting on San Diego issues. The roundtable is here tomorrow at noon. But before I go , I'd like to thank our Midday Edition team producers Ashley Rush , Giuliana Domingo and Jacob Air with the help of Lainie Alfaro , senior producer Brooke Ruth , art segment contributors Julia Dixon Evans and Beth Accomando , technical producers Ben Read , Brandon Trufant and Rebecca Chacon. The Midday Edition theme music is from San Diego's own surefire souled ensemble. Also , before we go , I really want to thank everyone who joined us for our midday experience. Thanks for your support. It's because of you that we do what we do. I'm Jade Hindman , thanks for listening and make it a great day on purpose , everyone.
